Riyadh, Aug 26: After about five years of jail term, Anju Nalson of Viravipura, Kollam in Kerala was released from a Saudi jail here on Monday August 23 with the help of India Fraternity Forum, an Islamic social service organization.
On suspicious grounds, Anju Nalson was arrested by police belonging to intelligence department in Saudi in October 2006 while traveling along with a friend, who was working as a taxi driver. It is said that the car had been stolen a month earlier to their travel. This apart, a case against the driver was also booked for stealing such similar cars during the time.
Further, Nalson too was arrested on suspicious grounds despite him being innocent. Following this, he had to undergo six-month-long jail term, which was extended as all the cases booked against the driver was transfeered againt the name of Nalson.
Nalson, who was living with his family unable to support them sent them back to Kerala. The efforts by family members, relatives, sponsors and various other social workers were not enough to get him released. Amid this a non-resident Indian assuring Anju's release took 25,000 Riyals and went absconding.
After spending over three years in jail, under the Saudi government's general padon to a sentenced was made available to Nalson and he was all set to return to his home land.
However, in a cruel twist of fate, the incident of an inmate Abubacker of Calicut, who was accompanying Anju in Jail, returning to his native using Anju's passport further created hurdle to his release. Until it was proved that it was Abubacker and not Anju, who had left Riyadh, Anju had to langusih in jail.
IFF member Majeed Bellare of Karnataka was soon entrusted the case of Anju by the social service department under Indian embassy. After nine-month-long effort, visiting various jails in Saudi armed with a letter from Indian embassy, Anju was finally released on Monday last and returned to India on Tuesday August 24.
However, Anju's life was filled with tragedy when in jail as he lost his father to a heart attack saddened by the state of his son and the death of one of his child after his family returned home.